Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Children of Sweden
‘It’s the simplicity that’s genius’ Combining business savvy and financial acumen with a solid understanding of branding and art direction, the Westman couple created a poster that brings to life the memory of a newborn, illustrated in scale 1:1 for your wall. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Schmeck Studios
It was 2014 when Evelina Westman came home from her job as a financial consultant, tired of the rat race, and said to her husband: “I’m sick of this, let’s come up with something so that I can just leave.” Gustav Westman, who worked for one of the larger advertising agencies in Stockholm at the time, had spent years trying to think of clever product concepts. The idea of illustrated posters depicting a child’s actual birth size in scale 1:1 resurfaced, and Evelina started drawing. “Evelina’s mother was doing consultancy for a printing workshop and we asked if they’d help with making our prints,” 64 | Issue 87 | April 2016
says Gustav. “They were laughing at this cute little couple with their poster, but offered to help. Six months later, they were standing there doing nothing but printing Birth Posters.”
A creative studio is born Sending out free posters to Sweden’s biggest mummy bloggers, the couple reached out to thousands of potential customers and word spread quickly. Just a few months later, The Birth Poster was selling more than 1,500 unique copies per month, becoming a staple design item on the walls of style-conscious parents. Soon enough, the business was do-
ing well enough to demand the full-time attention of its founders – and covering the costs along the way. “We’ve been lucky that way,” says Gustav. “It was never a case of having to take big risks.” Upon leaving their jobs, the couple set up a studio as a home for the poster production. Schmeck Studios now also produces The Note Poster: illustrated posters with the sheet music and lyrics of children’s favourite lullabies. The studio recently took on its first employee on a part-time basis, but other than that it is very much a family affair. “We were a bit scared when we first made the jump to working so closely together,” says Evelina, “but it was all taking off and we didn’t really have a choice! In the end, it worked out really well. Working with your partner, your best friend, is a bit of a dream scenario.”